Haikyo! The Royal Hotel Haikyo, Sagamiko

If this ad doesn't hook ya!



But times are tough the the Royal Hotel on the bank of lake Sagamiko.



Tough indeed. Boarded up and empty, it's seen better days.



This is what is called 廃墟, haikyo. Haikyo are modern ruins, discarded fragments of modern history. And Japan is full of them.



Entrance is often ... frowned upon. Using the vines growing on a nearby hill, we shimmied our way around to the back.





Access to the hot water room was not a problem. An open door invited us in.





I tried the switch, but nothing happened.

As I said, there are many haikyo in Japan. Much of the money from the bubble economy of the 80s went into construction. Not only were business entrepreneurs investing millions into elaborate projects, but the criminal underground and government had yen signs in their eyes.



But when the money runs out, and the profits dive, Haikyo happens. Japan is host to hotel haikyo, amusement park haikyo, even abandoned islands.



We gained entry through a broken 2nd story window.

These haikyo draw in a number of haikyo enthusiasts. You can find books on the shelves of the major suppliers, websites in your language of choice, even articles in popular free magazines.



Once inside, we headed to the restaurant.

I think the pictures speak louder than words could every for a place like this. Some reactions are "怖い! That's scary!". Some are "楽しそう! Looks fun!" So I'll save my sarcastic comments and observations this time.



Dammit, I have to say something! There was so... much... porn. Hundreds of VHS tapes with titles like "Inter-PORN" or "Anal First Timers". The best part is that it was all old 80's stuff. But, alas, the power was out, so the VCRs and TVs were for naught.

I'll stop talking now.



Wait, I can't resist! It's a god damn Teen Wolf laser disk. This means at some point, in this classy lounge, people sat down to watch Michael J. Fox transform into a werewolf and kick some ass on the court, taking his team all the way to the finals!

No more outta me.



Porno!

Shhh...



愛の時
永遠の夏日
今埃

The time of love
An eternal summer's day
Now Dust



Porn!





Like most love hotels, the lobby has a "menu" of the rooms. If it's lit up, it's free. Does shining a flashlight on it count as being lit up? Sure, why not.







Chinese gecko wine.







死ぬ is a common tag left at haikyo. It means die.







Access to the roof was attempted by a previous explorer, but never finished.













A hole into hell. There was no ladder out of this sewage tank.



Everything has a story to tell, but I'm afraid we will never know. Suddenly I understand what made The Shining so powerful a movie.





Someone cleaned the toilet, then locked the room one last time.





Oh, and by the way, the hotel is for sale.